diff --git a/lib/importproject.cpp b/lib/importproject.cpp
index 91aa93e41..064865756 100644
--- a/lib/importproject.cpp
+++ b/lib/importproject.cpp
@@ -248,20 +248,16 @@ void ImportProject::importCompileCommands(std::istream &istr)
                     }
                     if (F=='D') {
                         std::string defval;
-                        bool escape = false;
-                        while (pos < command.size() && command[pos] != ' ') {
-                            if (command[pos] != '\\') {
-                                defval += command[pos];
-                                escape = false;
+                        bool str = false;
+                        while (pos < command.size() && (str || command[pos] != ' ')) {
+                            if (command.compare(pos, 4, "\\\\\\\"") == 0) {
+                                defval += '\"';
+                                str = !str;
+                                pos += 4;
                             } else {
-                                if (escape) {
-                                    defval += '\\';
-                                    escape = false;
-                                } else {
-                                    escape = true;
-                                }
+                                defval += command[pos];
+                                pos++;
                             }
-                            pos++;
                         }
                         fs.defines += fval;
                         if (!defval.empty())
diff --git a/test/testimportproject.cpp b/test/testimportproject.cpp
index b41185ddd..efc8f22e1 100644
--- a/test/testimportproject.cpp
+++ b/test/testimportproject.cpp
@@ -94,13 +94,13 @@ private:
     void importCompileCommands() const {
 
         const char json[] = "[ { \"directory\": \"/tmp\","
-                            "\"command\": \"gcc -I/tmp -DTEST1 -DTEST2=2  -DTEST3=\\\"\\\\\\\"3\\\\\\\"\\\" -o /tmp/src.o -c /tmp/src.c\","
+                            "\"command\": \"gcc -I/tmp -DCFGDIR=\\\\\\\"/usr/local/share/Cppcheck\\\\\\\" -DTEST1 -DTEST2=2 -o /tmp/src.o -c /tmp/src.c\","
                             "\"file\": \"/tmp/src.c\" } ]";
         std::istringstream istr(json);
         TestImporter importer;
         importer.importCompileCommands(istr);
         ASSERT_EQUALS(1, importer.fileSettings.size());
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("TEST1=1;TEST2=2;TEST3=\"\\\"3\\\"\"", importer.fileSettings.begin()->defines);
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("CFGDIR=\"/usr/local/share/Cppcheck\";TEST1=1;TEST2=2", importer.fileSettings.begin()->defines);
     }
 };